SKINFOOD
Asparagus Glutathione Spicule Serum 50ml
A brightening serum built on glutathione, niacinamide and ascorbic acid with ferulic acid for stability, patted in after toner and before moisturizer for skin working on dullness and uneven tone.
No reviews yet50 ml
$60.00 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- NormalCombinationDryOily
- Helps with
- A targeted step layered under a moisturizer
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
This 50ml serum handles the serum step: it delivers a targeted dose of its lead ingredients to the areas that need it most. Butylene Glycol is the second ingredient on this product's own manufacturer list of 45, a solvent and humectant used to help carry the other ingredients, which is why the formula reads as more than a generic serum rather than a name-only claim. Used AM and PM, after essence and before moisturizer, it sits in that position of a Korean-style routine, not as a stand-alone product.
Key benefits
- What it is: a 50ml serum from SKINFOOD, for the serum step.
- On the ingredient list: Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, confirmed on this product's own manufacturer list rather than assumed from the category.
- Fits into the routine: delivers a targeted dose of its lead ingredients to the areas that need it most.
- Original Korean Formula: the version sold on Korean shelves, not a US reformulation.
What is Asparagus Glutathione Spicule Serum 50ml?
It is a serum from SKINFOOD.
How do I use this serum?
Use it after toner or essence, before moisturizer. AM and/or PM.
Where does this fit if I already use sunscreen or makeup?
Apply it before sunscreen or makeup, and let it absorb fully first so it does not pill under the next layer.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (44): Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Vinyl Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethiconol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Glutathione, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Tocopherol, Asparagus Officinalis Extract, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract, Sorbitol, Ascorbic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Sucrose Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Beta-Carotene, Ferulic Acid, (-)-alpha-bisabolol, Beta-Glucan, Hesperidin, Ergothioneine, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
Ingredient list read from jolse.com on 10 September 2026.
42 of 44 explained
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Propanediol humectant
- Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
- Niacinamide active
- Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
- Vinyl Dimethicone silicone
- Vinyl Dimethicone is a silicone used as a building block of the crosspolymer gels that give a formula its soft, blurring feel.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Squalane emollient
- Squalane is the stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid human skin already makes. It is a light emollient that absorbs quickly, does not oxidise, and is one of the few oils widely considered safe for blemish-prone skin. Most cosmetic squalane is now from sugarcane or olive rather than shark.
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate emulsifier
- Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a sugar-derived emulsifier and solubiliser, mild enough to be a standard choice in Korean essences. It dissolves small amounts of oil into water without any tightening feel.
- Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate thickener
- Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer thickener that holds a gel stable even with a lot of salt or acid in the formula.
- Cetearyl Olivate emulsifier
- Cetearyl Olivate is the water-loving half of the olive-derived emulsifier pair. With sorbitan olivate it builds emulsions whose lipid profile is close to skin's own.
30 more explained
- Sorbitan Olivate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Olivate is an olive-derived emulsifier, the oil-loving half of the pair sold as Olivem. It holds oil into water and leaves a light, non-waxy feel.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Dimethiconol silicone
- Dimethiconol is a high-molecular-weight silicone that leaves a longer-lasting smooth film than dimethicone. It is used for lasting slip and shine.
- Carbomer thickener
- Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- Glutathione antioxidant
- Glutathione is a small peptide the body uses as one of its main antioxidants. In skincare it is used as an antioxidant and for the look of dullness; it is unstable in water, so formulas that carry it are usually built around protecting it.
- Hydrolyzed Sponge active
- Hydrolyzed Sponge is processed freshwater sponge, which carries fine silica spicules. In a formula it works as a mild physical exfoliant.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Xanthan Gum thickener
- Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions of a percent.
- Adenosine active
- Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
- Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil fragrance
- May chang oil, a bright lemon-scented essential oil pressed from a small Asian tree. Its scent comes mostly from citral, the same aromatic that gives lemongrass its character.
- Disodium EDTA chelator
- EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
- Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil fragrance component
- Grapefruit peel oil, an essential oil pressed from the rind. It scents a formula, and citrus peel oils can make skin more sensitive to sun.
- Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil fragrance component
- Bergamot Fruit Oil is a citrus essential oil and the top note of eau de cologne. It scents a formula; citrus oils are the aromatic class most likely to bother reactive skin.
- Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil fragrance component
- Spearmint leaf oil, an essential oil with a softer, sweeter mint character than peppermint. It scents a formula and gives a cooling feel.
- Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract plant extract
- Buchu leaf extract, a South African botanical. The leaf carries flavonoids and aromatic oils, and the extract is used as a conditioning botanical with a faint blackcurrant scent.
- Sorbitol humectant
- Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a humectant. It hydrates like glycerin with a smoother, less sticky finish, and it adds a little body to watery textures.
- Ascorbic Acid antioxidant
- Ascorbic Acid is pure vitamin C, the most researched form and also the least stable: it needs a low pH and airtight packaging to stay active. It is an antioxidant used for the look of dullness and uneven tone.
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil emollient
- Sunflower Seed Oil is high in linoleic acid, the fatty acid dry and blemish-prone skin is often short of. It is a light, non-fragrant emollient and one of the better tolerated plant oils.
- Sucrose Stearate emulsifier
- Sucrose Stearate is a sugar-based emulsifier chosen for a light finish in formulas built for reactive skin.
- Glyceryl Stearate emulsifier
- Glyceryl Stearate is glycerin joined to stearic acid, and one of the most used emulsifiers in skincare. It holds oil and water together and thickens the result, and it softens skin at the same time.
- Beta-Carotene antioxidant
- Beta-Carotene is an orange plant pigment and a vitamin A precursor. It is used as an antioxidant and it tints a formula, which is often why it is there.
- Ferulic Acid antioxidant
- Ferulic Acid is a plant antioxidant from bran and seeds. Its main formulation job is stabilising vitamins C and E so a serum keeps working for longer, which is why the three appear together so often.
- (-)-alpha-bisabolol active
- Bisabolol is the main active fraction of chamomile oil, usually supplied from candeia wood. It is used for the look of redness in formulas for reactive skin, and it helps other ingredients absorb.
- Beta-Glucan polysaccharide
- Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide from oats or yeast. It holds a large amount of water, forms a soothing film, and is one of the ingredients formulators reach for in products aimed at reactive skin.
- Hesperidin antioxidant
- Hesperidin is the main flavonoid of citrus peel. It is used as a plant antioxidant and for the look of surface vessels.
- Ergothioneine antioxidant
- Ergothioneine is a sulphur-bearing amino acid mushrooms make. It is a strong antioxidant and is stable in water.
- Limonene fragrance component
- Limonene is the citrus-peel aromatic. It appears here because EU labelling requires 26 fragrance components to be named individually rather than hidden inside "fragrance", and it is one of them.
- Linalool fragrance component
- Linalool is a floral aromatic found in lavender, bergamot and coriander. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be declared by name.
- Citral fragrance component
- Citral is a sharp lemon aromatic found in lemongrass and citrus oils. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be named.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809032676632
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 50 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Adenosine, Beta-Glucan, Bisabolol, Glutathione, Niacinamide, Squalane, Vitamin C
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
How to use
- Use it after toner or essence, pressing a few drops evenly over the face before moisturizer, AM and/or PM as a brightening step in the routine.
Complete the routine
- This itemSKINFOOD Asparagus Glutathione Spicule Serum 50ml$30.00

- The treatment step of this routineSKINFOOD Yuja C Dark Spot Clear Serum 50ml$32.50

- An as-needed step, in place of the prep layerSKINFOOD Pantothenic Water Parsley Mask 24ml X 10ea$32.50

Total for 3 items$95.00
Reviews
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SKINFOOD Asparagus Glutathione Spicule Serum 50ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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SKINFOOD, Korean-market original
Asparagus Glutathione Spicule Serum 50ml from SKINFOOD: a serum in the Original Korean Formula, not the US-shelf version.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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